Chapter 121: Ascend the Mountain to Watch the Sword! Return and Departure

Few who ascended the mountain drew attention from the spectators on the Sword-Gazing Platform, for in this crowded place, all awaited the final outcome of victory or defeat.

What was shown in the first bout nearly confirmed to them that the Heavenly Book Academy’s quest for answers was doomed to fail.

Thus, none among the disciples of the Questioning Dao Sect, the Mountain Sea Pavilion, and especially the Spirit Sword Mountain wished to miss this moment.

Meanwhile, Ding Yao had reached the mid-slope and saw the Sword Grove silent and lush with green.

Sunlight filtered through gaps in the bamboo leaves, dappling the ground, and with the stillness here, it brought deep peace.

The mountain’s disciples had all gone to watch the battle; this quiet did not surprise her.

She knew only a few disciples remained in the grove—those who were usually silent, devoted solely to cultivation, and disliked commotion.

Aside from them, only Ji You remained.

As Ding Yao pondered, she arrived at the grove’s edge and saw another Elder, Yan Qingchi, descending from the Sky Sword Peak, meeting Yan Ye, who had rushed here from the Sword-Gazing Platform.

“Isn’t the Questioning Dao contest still happening below?”

“Gongshu Chou sent word—it wasn’t false, so I came to see before the first bout ended.”

“The first bout ended?”

“The Heavenly Book Academy’s direct disciple was cast out of the arena…”

“That one in the grove…”

“No need to dwell on it, but one must still take a look.”

Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi spoke in low tones for a moment, then nodded to each other and drew their swords, stepping out of the Second Grove.

Meanwhile, the disciple who had been with Yan Ye, Huang Hui, now stood outside the grove, watching the two Elders enter the Second Grove, about to follow—when a voice like a silver bell rang in his ear.

“Senior brother, long time no see.”

Huang Hui turned and saw Ding Yao walking toward him; his lips subtly lifted: “So it’s Junior Sister Ding—truly long since we last met. But why are you here too? Are you here to challenge the Sword Grove?”

Ding Yao smiled lightly in reply: “I did consider challenging it, but recent affairs kept me occupied. I’ll try after the Heavenly Book Academy disciples leave the mountain.”

“You’re already at the Penetrating Mystery realm—passing the Second Grove shouldn’t be a problem. Yu Lin, who just entered Penetrating Mystery, cleared the [Little Heavy Mountain] in eight strikes.”

“Not necessarily, Senior Brother. The Heavenly Book Academy still has Ji You—he took sixteen strikes to clear [Little Heavy Mountain]. My sword talent is just as ordinary as his.”

At the mention of Ji You, Huang Hui’s brow furrowed, and he momentarily drifted off.

Ding Yao didn’t notice this; she was more curious why Yan Ye had come up the mountain and asked: “I have a question I don’t understand—could you answer it for me?”

Huang Hui snapped back: “Junior Sister, ask freely.”

“Today is the final match of the Questioning Dao contest, and your Sky Sword Peak’s direct disciple is supposed to fight. Why, then, has Elder Yan Ye suddenly left without a word and come here with you to the Sword Grove?”

Huang Hui’s smile faded; after a moment’s thought, he looked up: “You know Ji You of the Heavenly Book Academy, right?”

Ding Yao paused, then nodded: “Of course I know—I went to the Qiling Ruins myself.”

“How could I have forgotten that.”

Huang Hui glanced at Ding Yao: “When he, with his cultivation fully perfected in the lower three realms, joined the Heavenly Book Academy disciples to repel the Questioning Dao Sect and our Spirit Sword Mountain—and nearly killed Gongshu Chou—was that not true?”

Ding Yao blinked, then nodded.

She had been there during that battle; the words “repelled” and “nearly killed” were indeed accurate.

But everyone in the Spirit Sword Mountain knew that was because the Ruins contained toxic qi that restricted spiritual energy—so she didn’t understand why Huang Hui brought it up now.

“What does this have to do with the two Elders coming up the mountain?”

Huang Hui came back to himself, his expression complex: “The Ji You you call ordinary in sword talent has, without warning, accepted the Second Trial’s [New Willow Shade]—and has now entered the Third Grove. I came down the mountain just now to report this to Elder Yan.”

“?”

Ding Yao froze, her eyes slowly widening.

Ji You accepted [New Willow Shade] and entered the Third Grove? How was that possible?

She and Zhuo Wanqiu had followed Ji You to the Sword Grove just two days ago—they knew he’d taken sixteen strikes just to clear [Little Heavy Mountain].

Only one day had passed—how had Ji You reached the Third Grove already?

Didn’t Elder Yan Ye say earlier that the Second Grove was the limit for Penetrating Mystery disciples? With Ji You’s performance in the First Grove, he might not even reach [New Willow Shade].

The danger in the Second Grove was indeed several times greater than the First; the longest any Spirit Sword Mountain Penetrating Mystery disciple had been trapped there was half a month.

The only Penetrating Mystery disciple to accept [New Willow Shade] was Su Tong, another direct disciple of a Sky Sword Peak Elder—and he was already Penetrating Mystery Upper Realm.

Even Su Tong, Penetrating Mystery Upper Realm, took seven days to clear the entire Second Grove.

When she’d asked him earlier how many strikes he used to clear [Little Heavy Mountain], Su Tong had recounted his experience clearing the Second Grove—and volunteered the story of being cut out of the Third Grove.

On the surface, this was Su Tong’s modesty and self-mockery—but in truth, it was a boast.

Because entering the Third Grove as a Penetrating Mystery disciple was already something to be proud of.

Yet Ji You, a full realm below Su Tong, had now entered the Third Grove.

Ding Yao stood stunned for a long while, thinking: Though Ji You, Penetrating Mystery Middle Realm, had taken more effort, his talent was perhaps not far from Su Tong’s, Penetrating Mystery Upper Realm.

It seemed he wasn’t as bad as she’d thought—he’d matched a direct disciple of an Elder. That was already extraordinary…

“But even so, why would Elder Yan Ye come up personally? After all, the Questioning Dao contest is still ongoing below.”

Huang Hui nodded: “Yes. When I first came down to report Ji You’s entry into the Third Grove, Elder Yan said the same thing—that Ji You’s reputation preceded him, so some talent wasn’t surprising.”

Ding Yao blinked: “Then why did Elder Yan come up the mountain the second time? And why did Elder Yan Qingchi come too?”

“Because when I returned, I saw Senior Brother Gongshu Chou emerge from the Third Grove, frowning and telling me to report to Elder Yan—that… that in a little while, Ji You might face the Third Trial’s [Return and Departure].”

“?”

At this moment, Yan Ye and Yan Qingchi had entered the deeper, denser green of the Third Grove.

Before them surged howling sword qi—swift as lightning, endlessly swirling, overwhelming in power.

A white figure moved through it, crouching to thrust, stacking blade waves that rose and fell, sometimes vast and crisp, clashing violently against the chaotic sword art with sharp, ringing strikes.

Already present were two figures: one slender, her face cold and stern—Yan Shujing, who had wounded He Lingxiu the day before.

As the grove’s disciples had speculated, Yan Shujing truly hadn’t cared about the Questioning Dao contest.

After the Heavenly Book Academy disciples arrived, she still trained her sword in the grove; after defeating He Lingxiu, she returned to the grove the next day.

No joy of victory—her heart held only the Dao of the Sword, only strength. Everything else held no interest.

Only when she reached the Fourth Grove and passed through the Third Grove did she pause, unable to help herself.

The other figure was Gongshu Chou, now standing at the edge of the Third Grove, gazing at the white figure amid the sword qi, his brow tightly furrowed.

Before descending yesterday, he’d watched Ji You challenge the Second Grove for a long time, finally losing interest when Ji You kept being flung out.

This morning, he’d walked through the Second Sword Grove, deliberately scanning for Ji You.

Finding no trace of him, he assumed the Heavenly Book Academy’s first defeat had dampened his spirit—or that he’d realized time was insufficient and given up.

But he never expected that when he reached the Third Grove, he’d find Ji You there.

“No wonder he wounded me.”

Gongshu Chou didn’t remain astonished long; he accepted Ji You’s entry into the Third Grove with the same reasoning as before.

After all, he’s the one who wounded me—why shouldn’t he enter the Third Grove, which even Penetrating Mystery Upper Realm disciples can enter?

But as time passed, his brow now knotted tightly, his gaze sharpening.

The phrase “no wonder he wounded me” no longer calmed his heart.

Zhum zhum zhum—

Three sword chants rang out; the three strikes of the Third Grove’s [Return and Departure] slashed along the ground, swift as tidal waves, kicking up swirling dust.

Boundless killing intent surged as if overflowing, crashing toward the white-clad youth.

Then the three-foot iron sword rose to meet the sky, meeting the three strikes with stacked waves—sword qi churned wildly through the grove.

With a splash, the scorching blade withdrew like water drawn up; three sword qi were severed, the airwaves collapsing, making the white figure flutter wildly.

Seeing this, the four in the grove all froze, holding their breath.

The white-clad youth, having shattered the three strikes, did not pause—he surged deeper into the grove.

Then a rising sword intent made all four feel a sudden chill.

This was the guardian sword of the Third Grove: [Return and Departure].

At once, Yan Ye’s brow tightened; she stared at the sword-raising youth, her eyes slightly stunned.

Earlier, when Huang Hui came down twice, the first time to report Ji You’s entry into the Third Sword Grove, she’d been truly astonished.

This had nothing to do with Ji You’s sixteen strikes to clear [Little Heavy Mountain]; even Su Tong, who cleared [Little Heavy Mountain] in three strikes, took seven days to exit the Second Grove.

She simply couldn’t imagine how Ji You, once judged to have extremely low sword talent, had reached the Third Grove in a single day.

But now, watching Ji You slash through the Third Sword Grove, she suddenly felt something.

In every strike, his sword intent changed—and each change caused his sword techniques, forms, and qi to shift violently.

But Yan Ye couldn’t understand how one person could have a different sword intent with every strike.

At that moment, a fierce sword intent surged from the bamboo grove, like a raging storm, making them all tremble inwardly.

The white-clad youth raised his head, gazing far ahead, and swung his sword toward [Return and Departure].

What the four now felt was a sword intent boiling violently.

This intent was incredibly complex, chaotic and rushing, utterly directionless, driven only by relentless forward motion.

Compared to his previous strike, his sword qi now had greater momentum—but seemed weaker in power.

Swordheart Clarity demands purity; this youth’s sword seemed to be moving in direct opposition to it.

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(End of chapter)